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The birds are chirping, buds are starting to pop up on tree branches, the sun is out, and you’ve already enjoyed a warm breeze or two: Spring is here. Most renters welcome in the new season by undergoing a top-to-bottom spring cleaning event in their apartment, and after a long winter, we can’t say that we blame them.

Winter means we spend more time indoors, and we track a lot of outside grime inside (salt and snow and ice from the sidewalk come to mind). Now is the time to open those windows, let the sunshine in and clear out all of the dust and cobwebs from winter. Here are some handy spring cleaning tips to get your apartment looking spotless:

Create a Game Plan

Too many times, apartment dwellers fail to create a work​ list beforehand, so when they start cleaning their apartments, they become overwhelmed with all of the chores and projects quickly. This is why it’s important to organize your schedule to correspond with these spring cleaning sessions.

No one likes to spend an entire day cleaning, so break up your spring cleaning projects into chunks and tackle them one at a time so that you don’t get worn out. You can accomplish this by going room by room or task by task (such as decluttering and deep cleaning in shifts).

Start at the Beginning

The entrances and exits of your apartment likely saw a lot of traction over the winter– we’re talking dirty boots, salt, and melting snow. Now is the time to get those doormats outside for a good shake, then bring them inside for a vacuum. Make sure that the floors or carpeting near the entrances and exits are also shampooed or mopped thoroughly, as there is likely quite a bit of dirt and grime that accumulated near these areas over the long winter.

Windows

This is the season when your windows can be opened for those spring breezes throughout your home– make sure they are spotless. Martha Stewart recommends using a rubber-edged squeegee to tackle this project, as they are more effective and can get to those hard-to-reach spots with screw-on attachments. Just be sure that you hit the outside and inside of your window for a full deep clean.

Baseboards and Blinds

Over the past few months, there’s a good chance that these areas have also picked up a lot of dirt and dust. All you need is a slightly damp sponge and all-purpose cleaner (or a gentle wood cleaner if you have hardwood blinds or floors). Although this chore might take some time, it makes a world of difference for the overall appearance of your apartment. As an added bonus, clearing out all of that dust is better for your health.

The Fridge and Microwave

Spring cleaning sessions are a great time to tackle those often-ignored areas of the kitchen too– such as your fridge and microwave. Getting all of those spills and splatters out can take some time, so you might want to create a cleaning day just for this task alone. It’s well worth it– you want to make sure the place where your food sits is as clean as possible, right? Throw out old food, and use baking soda and warm water to break up stains (use an old toothbrush if the spills and stains are particularly stubborn).

After a long winter of staying in, your furniture, curtains, bedding, and other household items might need some TLC. Be sure when you are deep-cleaning your carpets that you take the upholstery attachment and run it over your draperies and curtains. For sheer curtains, author of “Cleaning Plain & Simple,” Donna Smallin, recommends to remove dust by putting them in the dryer on a low setting with a dryer sheet. As for your shower curtain, you might want to launder it if it is safe to do so, as it tends to pick up more filth than other curtains in your home.

Bedrooms don’t typically get as dirty as other rooms in the house, but spring cleaning is a great time to rotate and flip your mattress, take your blankets and comforters to the cleaners (bring your winter jackets and coats while you’re at it), launder mattress pads and bed skirts and hang out your pillows.. You could also run your pillows on a no-heat cycle of your dryer for a spring cleaning refresher.

Lastly, update your bedroom closet by storing away winter clothes and start to break out those sandals, shorts and sleeveless tops– summer will be here before you know it. Happy spring cleaning!